Salary: £36,650 per annum
Hours: Full-Time or Part-Time (Minimum 0.8 FTE)
Contract Type: Fixed Term (Concluding 23 December 2025)
Location: Polaris House, Swindon, Wiltshire (Hybrid Working)
Grade: UKRI Band D
Positions Available: 1
Closing Date: 19 May 25
Proposed Interview Date: W/C 09 June 25
About Us
ESRC is a major funder of data infrastructures that enable social science research. These data infrastructures include several large, long-running data collections, and the services that researchers need to access them.
The ESRC Data Strategy & Infrastructure Team is responsible for managing around 30 of these infrastructures. This involves a range of tasks across the lifecycle of each investment, including commissioning, investment management, and evaluation. Infrastructure we manage include the Centre for Longitudinal Studies, Understanding Society, the British Election Study and the UK Data Service. We also undertake strategic activity relating to data, such as developing new investments and policy.
Job Purpose
The role supports the effective development and management of a portfolio of new and existing data infrastructure investments. The role involves close working with colleagues across the ESRC Data Strategy & Infrastructure Programme, UKRI and the wider social science research community.
Core activities are likely to include supporting:
* Day to day management of ESRC’s existing funding for data collections and data services, including attending investment management meetings, responding to funding policy queries, and supporting the monitoring, assurance and impact tracking of investments
* Commissioning future phases of funding for existing infrastructures and planning for evaluation of these data collections and services
* The development of policies, processes, and resources to improve cross-programme and cross-organisation ways of working
* The delivery of the ESRC Data Infrastructure Strategy, including flexibly supporting projects and activities to implement refreshed policies and processes
* Providing specialist secretariat roles at, for example, advisory boards and similar meetings of a technical nature
Assessment Criteria
We will assess applicants on the criteria stated below. We ask that applicants state how their skills and experiences meet these criteria in a covering letter (maximum 2 pages) and provide a CV (maximum 2 pages).
(S) – ASSESSED AT SHORTLISTING
(I) – ASSESSED AT INTERVIEW
(S&I) – ASSESSED AT BOTH SHORTLISTING AND INTERVIEW
* Strong planning and organisational skills, including the ability to prioritise and to run complex activities (S/I)
* Can work independently and take ownership of tasks while maintaining attention to detail (S/I)
* Can work effectively in a team (S/I)
* Effective communication skills, in particular can write in a professional, concise and appealing manner. (S/I)
* Experience of maintaining effective working relationships with internal and external collaborators at varying seniority levels (S/I)
* Can understand, analyse and summarise complex written and numerical information. (S/I)
* A degree or relevant experience related to social science and/or the use of data in research (S)
* An enthusiasm for social science research (S)
FIXED TERM ASSIGNMENTS
Employees applying for any opportunity which may mean being away from your substantive role for a temporary period of time, please refer to the Recruitment Policy and associated guidance Recruitment at UKRI – policy and information (sharepoint.com) for further information in the first instance. If you are made an offer, please ensure you liaise with your Line Manager and the designated HR Team as soon as possible in order that implications of any move are clear and understood, prior to a move taking place.
HYBRID WORKING
All posts are based at our Swindon office, but we operate a hybrid approach, and you can expect a mix of working from home, the office, and occasionally at external locations. Expectations will be set out at interview and offer, and all working arrangements will be considered.
About the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC)
The ESRC is the UK’s largest funder of economic, social, behavioural and human data science. It supports the development and training of the UK’s future social scientists and funds major studies that provide the infrastructure for research. ESRC-funded research informs policy-makers and practitioners and helps make businesses, voluntary bodies and other organisations more effective.
UKRI is an organisation that brings together the seven disciplinary research councils, Research England and Innovate UK. Together, we build an independent organisation with a strong voice and vision ensuring the UK maintains its world-leading position in research and innovation.
Supporting some of the world’s most exciting and challenging research projects, we develop and operate some of the most remarkable scientific facilities in the world. We are pushing the frontiers of human knowledge through fundamental research and delivering benefits for UK society and the economy through world-class research, skills and business-led innovation.
Choosing to come to work at UKRI means that you will have access to a whole host of benefits from a defined benefit pension scheme, excellent holiday entitlement, access to employee shopping/travel discounts and salary sacrifice cycle to work scheme. For more details, visit Benefits of working at UK Research and Innovation (UKRI)
The role holder will be required to have the appropriate level of security screening/vetting required for the role. UKRI reserves the right to run or re-run security clearance as required during the course of employment.
How we support EDI in the workforce
At UKRI, we believe that everyone has a right to be treated with dignity and respect, and to be provided with equal opportunities to thrive and succeed in an environment that enables them to do so. We also value diversity of thought and experience within inclusive groups, organisations and the wider community. For further information, please visit ‘How we support EDI in the workforce’ .
Disability Confident Employer
As users of the disability confident scheme, we guarantee to interview all disabled applicants who meet the minimum criteria for the vacancy/ies. We will ensure that individuals with disabilities are provided reasonable accommodation to participate in the job application or interview process, to perform essential job functions, and to receive other benefits and privileges of employment. Please contact us to request accommodation.
How to apply
Online applications only preferred for this role. Please submit a CV and covering letter which clearly outlines how you fulfil the criteria specified along with your motivation for UKRI and the role. Ensure that the job reference number is included in the filename description of each document uploaded. Note that failure to address the above criteria or submit an application without a covering letter may result in the application not being considered. Assessment will only be based upon the content of your submitted covering letter and CV and not the ‘experience’ section of the application.
UKRI seeks to ensure it creates and maintains a system of openness, fairness and inclusion – a collaborative, trusted environment, which is attractive to and accessible to everyone who is interested in developing their career with us.
About the company
UK Research and Innovation is a non-departmental public body of the Government of the United Kingdom that directs research and innovation funding, funded through the science budget of the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy.
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